The present invention relates to an adapter coupler for adapting couplings of different design, wherein the adapter coupler comprises a first connection zone for the releasable connecting of the adapter coupler to a first coupler, a second connection zone for the releasable connecting of the adapter coupler to a second coupler, as well as a coupler housing to connect the first connecting mechanism to the second connecting mechanism.
The invention accordingly relates to an adapter coupler to, for example, join couplings of an automatic central buffer coupling and a screw-type or AAR coupling, whereby the first connection zone can be configured as a coupling lock for the releasable connecting of the adapter coupler to the coupler head of an automatic central buffer coupling and wherein the second connection zone can be configured as a coupling yoke to fit in the drawhook of a screw-type or AAR coupling for the releasable connecting of the adapter coupler to the coupler head of a screw or AAR coupling.
The term “connection zone” as used herein is to be generally understood as an interface between the coupler housing of the adapter coupler on the one side and the coupling to be connected by the adapter coupler. The connection zone can for example be configured as a coupling lock or can comprise a coupling lock for the releasable connecting of the adapter coupler to the coupler head of an automatic central buffer coupling. On the other hand, it is conceivable for the connection zone to have a coupling yoke which can fit into the drawhook of a screw-type or AAR coupling. Of course, other embodiments of the connection zone are also feasible.
An adapter coupler of the type cited above is known in general in railway technology and is used to connect rail-borne vehicles having differing coupling systems (e.g. Scharfen-berg couplings to an AAR head or drawhook). Connecting the adapter coupler for example to the drawhook or AAR head is usually done manually, while in the case of a central buffer coupling, the coupling process can be automatic.
A conventional adapter coupler to join the couplings of an automatic central buffer coupling and, for example, a screw-type coupling usually exhibits a coupler housing for accommodating a coupling lock as the first connecting mechanism for mechanically connecting the adapter coupler to a coupling lock provided in the coupler head of the automatic central buffer coupling. In the coupled state, the front face of the coupler housing then butts against the adapter coupler at the front face of the automatic central buffer coupling's coupler head.
A coupling yoke can be provided as a second connecting mechanism on the end opposite the front face of the adapter coupler which can be received, for example, in the draw-hook of a screw-type coupling or an AAR coupling and thus provide a mechanical connection of the adapter coupler to the screw-type or AAR coupling.
In operation, tension and compression loads are introduced into the second connecting mechanism of the adapter coupler configured as a coupling yoke from the drawhook of the screw-type or AAR coupling. The compressive load introduced into the coupling yoke, second connecting mechanism respectively, is conducted through the wall of the coupler housing to the front face of the adapter coupler and from there, transmitted to the front face of the automatic central buffer coupling's coupler head mechanically connected to the adapter coupler.
Tractive load, on the other hand, is transmitted through the first connecting mechanism such as the mechanically connected coupling locks of the adapter coupler and the automatic central buffer coupling. The coupling locks can for example comprise a core piece pivotably mounted relative the coupler housing by means of a main pin and having a coupling grommet attached thereto. Tractive forces are thereby transmitted via the respective coupling grommets which engage in the corresponding core pieces.
It is to be noted at this point that the present invention is by no means limited to an adapter coupler designed to connect an automatic central buffer coupling to a screw-type coupling. Rather, the invention relates in general to an adapter coupler for adapting couplings of differing design, whereby the adapter coupler comprises a connecting mechanism which is compatible with a coupling of a first design type and configured to form a releasable connection to the coupling of the first design type, and whereby the adapter coupler further comprises a second connecting mechanism which is compatible with a coupling of a second design type and configured to form a releasable connection to the coupling of the second design type.
Since the first and second connecting mechanisms are respectively connected together via the coupler housing in generic adapter couplers, the tension and compression loads which occur during operation are—when the adapter coupler is used to adapt the coupling of the first design type to the coupling of the second design type—transmitted from the first connecting mechanism to the second connecting mechanism via the coupler housing.
Since the housing of the adapter coupler is thus involved in the transmission of force in the case of both tractive as well as compressive loads, it needs to exhibit correspondingly high compressive and tensile strength. For this reason, the coupler housing provided in a conventional adapter coupler is usually realized as a metal construction (precision cast), thus using a material which exhibits comparatively high tensile and compressive strength and in particular has isotropic properties, i.e. physically uniform in all directions.
The disadvantage of a conventional adapter coupler as known in rail technology and described above can be seen in that the metal construction, in particular to the coupler housing, makes it difficult to manually fit the adapter coupler into the interface between the couplings to be adapted, for example the drawhook of a screw-type or AAR coupling.
It has therefore been long endeavored to design an adapter coupler of lightweight construction allowing easier manual manipulation.